Hoboken students learn of African culture at special presentation

A lucky group of Hoboken students had the opportunity of a hands-on experience featuring African culture, right from their classroom.

Students at Wallace Elementary School in Hoboken were part of a special presentation last month by African Views, where they were encouraged to rethink their views of Africa and the people who call the continent home.

The school, located at 1100 Willow Ave. in Hoboken, was the first school in New Jersey to host the program, which featured guest speakers from Africa as well as interactive displays.

The first presentation consisted of a Skype video conferences with students from schools in Africa. The first call was made at 9:20 a.m. to a bilingual class in Dakar, Senegal, where it was 2:20 p.m. The students may have been thousands of miles apart, but there was a shared excitement and eagerness to learn about each other.

Another call was made to a class taught by Sandra Augustine Nnebo in Botswana. The children exchanged ideas on food, sports, and the cities where they lived.

The Hoboken students even taught the kids in Botswana how to say hello in Spanish and they learned how to say goodbye in Setswana, the most widely spoken language in the country.

Students also made dolls inspired by the artwork of the Ndebele people, a small ethnic group in Southern Africa, using plastic water bottles, adding fabric and accessories to decorate them. The project was coordinated by France Garrido from the Newark Museum.